Cover for a wall switch



June 30, 1970 G, E N

COVER FOR A WALL SWITCH Filed Feb. 12. 1969 FlG.l

FIG.2

INVENTOR. GEORGE FRIEDMAN 3,518,356 Patented June 30, 1970 3,518,356COVER FOR A WALL SWITCH George Friedman, 72 Spruce St., Hicksville, N.Y.11801 Filed Feb. 12, 1969, Ser. No. 798,760

Int. Cl. H05k 5/03 US. Cl. 17466 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aswitch plate cover is attached to the two screws provided on standardAmerican wall switch plates on opposite sides of the switch actuatingmember, approximately 2 /2 apart. The cover has two fixed brackets onits inner face for receiving the screw heads, and the screw shanksproject through U-shaped notches in the brackets which are open in acommon direction. The switch actuating member projects through a slotcentered in the otherwise imperforate cover between the brackets. Araised edge of the cover is contiguously adjacent the wall.

This invention relates to wall-protecting switch plate covers for usewith electrical wall switches, and to a wall switch arrangementincluding such a cover.

Wall switches are conventionally mounted in outlet boxes which arerecessed in an opening of the wall. The opening is covered by a switchplate apertured for access to the switch actuating member and attachedto the portion of the switch received in the outlet box by two screwsthreadedly received in openings of the switch plate oppositely spacedfrom the switch actuating member at a distance of approximately 2 /2"from each other, which is standardized. The shanks of the screws passthrough the plate and the screw heads are visible on the outer face ofthe same.

The plates normally used with single wall switches are approximately 4/2 long and 2%" wide. While they adequately cover the wall opening forthe outlet box, the wall closely adjacent the switch actuating member isexposed, and this wall portion as well as the plate are soiled bycontact with dirty hands. Switch plate covers of dimensions much greaterthan 4 /2 x 2%" and capable of being attached to the switch plate have,therefore, been available as standard articles of commerce.

Some of the known, large-sized covers are attached by fasteners whichare visible on the exposed face of the cover and detract from itsdecorative value. If the switch screws are used as fasteners on theknown shield, when dusting or washing, they require complete removal andrefastening for mounting the cover when it is desired to dust or washthe same. Other known shields merely cover a portion of the wallsurrounding the standard cover, and are not easily removable for dustingor washing.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a switch platecover of the general type described which is extremely simple in itsconstruction and free of movable parts, yet capable of being attached toan existing switch over, or instead of, an existing standard switchplate and firmly secured in place under all stresses applied in normaluse, without removing the switch plate or switch plate screws.

The cover of the invention includes a plate member having outer andinner faces and a raised rim about the inner face to define therewith ashallow trough. Two like brackets fixedly attached to the inner face areentirely confined in the trough cavity below the level of the raised rimand are oppositely and longitudinally spaced from an elongated centralslot in the plate member. Each bracket defines a cavity with the innerplate member face,

and has a U-shaped notch extending from a rim of the bracket. Thebracket notches are open in the direction of elongation of the centralslot in the plate member, and their bights face in the same direction.

In the mounted condition of such a cover, the heads of the screwsprojecting from the wall switch plate are received in the cavities ofthe switch plate cover brackets, and the screw shanks extend through thenotches of the brackets.

The exact nature of this invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will readily be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom consideration of the following specification relating to theannexed drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows switch plate cover of the invention in elevational rearView;

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of the shield of FIG. 1 in enlarged sectionon the line IIII, indicating a screw head received in a cover bracket,in phantom lines; and

FIG. 3 shows the same cover mounted on a wall and a switch in asectional view analogous to that of FIG. 2.

The cover illustrated in FIG. 1 consists of a rectangular plastic plate1 provided with a raised rim 2 about its flat inner face 3. An elongatedslot 4 is approximately centered in the bottom of the shallow troughformed by the face 3 and the rim 2, and two plastic brackets 5, 6

'are cemented, molded or machined to the face 3 on longitudinallyopposite sides of the slot 4. The length and width of the plate 1 areapproximately 8 and 6" respectively.

As is evident from joint consideration of FIGS. 1 and 2, each bracket isa rectangular block of plastic formed with a notch 7 having a bevelled,recessed rim portion 8, designed to fit the bevelled screw heads of theswitch plate screws, as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2. The brackets5, 6 are attached to the plate member 1 in a position in which thebights of the notches 7 are approximately 2%" apart and open in the samedownward direction, which is also the direction of elongation of theelongated shield slot 4.

FIG. 3 shows a wall 9 having an outlet box '10 in which a toggle switch11 is recessed. The switch is attached to the wall 9 by fasteners 12.Its actuating bar 13 projects beyond the surface of the wall and throughthe switch plate 16 and slot 4 in switch plate cover 1 which issuperimposed on the wall surface.

Two screws 14, 15 project from the standard switch 11 approximately 2/2" apart in the plane of pivoting movement of the actuating bar 13 tohold the switch plate 16 over the outlet box. The shanks of the screws14, 15 enter the notches 7 of the brackets 5, 6 at right angles to theface 3, and the screw heads are retained in the cavity between the rimportions 8 of the notches and the inner face 3, thereby securing theplate 1 to the wall 9 and switch plate 16 against movement in alldirections, except upward, the notches 7 being open in a downwarddirection.

The cover is removed from the switch 11 by sliding it upwardly, and itis attached to the switch by the opposite movement, the screws 14, 15being threadedly adjusted on the switch 11 to provide a small clearancebetween the screw heads and the switch plate 16 to permit the screwheads to be received in the cavities of brackets 5, 6. The screws 14, 15pass through corresponding openings in the switch plate 16, and areloosened by two or three turns when it is desired to install the coverof the invention over an existing switch equipped with the plate.

Numerous modifications and variations of the illustrated cover andswitch arrangement will readily suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art. The plate of the cover may assume a shape different from theillustrated rectangle. It should be understood, therefore, that theforegoing disclosure relates only to an illustrative example of theinvention, and that the invention is not limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A switch plate cover for a wall switch comprising, in combination:

(a) a plate member having an inner face and an outer face and formedwith an elongated aperture therethrough; and

(b) two like brackets fixedly attached to said inner face and oppositelyspaced from said aperture in the direction of elongation thereof,

(1) each bracket having a rim portion defining an elongated notch, saidrim portion spaced from said inner face to define a cavity, and

(2) the notches extending in said direction and facing in the samedirection.

2. A cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein said notches have respective'bights spaced from each other approximately two and a half inches.

3. A cover as set forth in claim 2, wherein the plate member has araised edge about said inner face, the edge projecting from said innerface beyond said brackets.

4. A cover as set forth in claim 3, wherein said aperture isapproximately centered in said plate member and constitutes the solepassage through said plate member between said faces.

5. A cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rim portions arebevelled.

6. A switch arrangement comprising, in combination:

(a) a wall having a surface formed with an outlet box therein;

(b) an electric switch received in said outlet box, a portion of saidswitch projecting from said surface and including respective shankportions of two screws and the heads of said screws, and a switchactuating member, said screws and said actuating member extending in acommon plane perpendicular to said surface, said screw heads beingspaced from said actuating member in opposite directions;

(c) a plate member having an inner face covering said switch anddirected toward the same, and an outer face, and formed with anelongated aperture aligned with said actuating member for giving accessto the same; and

((1) two like brackets fixedly attached to said inner face,

(1) each bracket having a rim portion defining an elongated notch, saidrim portion spaced from said inner face and defining a cavity,

(2) the notches extending in the direction of elongation of the apertureand facing in the same direction, and

(3) said screw heads respectively received in said cavity and the screwshank portions respectively received in said notches.

7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 6, wherein said plate member hasa raised edge about said inner face and directed toward said wallsurface.

8. An arrangement as set forth in claim 6, wherein said aperture isapproximately centered in said plate memebr and constitutes the solepassage through said plate member connecting said faces.

9. An arrangement as set forth in claim 6, wherein said rim portions arebevelled whereby the screw heads snugly fit into the respectivecavities.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,840,582 1/1932 Hubbell 22024.22,740,873 4/1956 Cronk 174-66 2,934,590 4/1960 Thompson et a1. l7466 X3,011,008 11/1961 Slater l7466 3,155,808 11/1964 Wiley l7466 XR3,197,549 7/1965 Good l7466 HERMAN O. JONES, Primary Examiner US. Cl.X.R.

